File-box.



ANDREWL. wars, or MONROE, MICHIGAN.

FILE-Box.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Application filed May 24, 1906. Serial No. 318.449.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW L. WEIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monroe, in the county of Monroe and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in File-Boxes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which is appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and gures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In the use of iiling-boxes a familiar difficulty is the tendencyT of the index-cards to fall backward into a nearly-horizontal position, so that it is hard to see and to iind the desired index letter, number, or word on the card. Various means have been employed to hold the cards upright and for erinitting the adjustment or variation of t e number of cards or documents to be supported, but, so far as I am aware, none of these devices have proved satisfactory, as they are usually found to lack stability and durability.

My invention relates to means for overcoming the obj ections and difficulties hereindicated, and more particularly to furnish in a file box or tray employed for filing documents or for holding' index-cards a cheap, simple, strong, and durable device for holding the cards or documents in upright compact form. I attain these objects by means of the devices and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and shown, and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which` Figure l is a central longitudinal vertical sectional elevation of a card-index tray or drawer provided with my invention; Fig. 2, a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3, a sectional elevation, on an enlarged scale, taken on line fc 9;, Fig. 2, of the follower hereinafter referred to and Fig. 4t, the same, illustrating a modified form of my invention.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

In the drawings, l is a tray or drawer designed to contain a number of index-cards 2.

3 is a strip of thin flexible sheet metal corresponding in length with the length of the interior of the tray or drawer. This strip at its extremities is securely fastened by rivets, eyelets, or the like to the floor of the cardreceptacle, as at 4.

5 is a block of nearly the length of the width of the interior of the boX, preferably tapering toward its top, as shown in Fig. 1. This block is disposed across and rests and is movable upon the floor of the tray. In the direction of the length of the receptacle across the bottom of the block midway of its length is formed a broad channel or groove, as at 6.

7 is a strip of sheet metal oneend of which is wrapped closely around the strip 3 transversely, the other end being extended, as at S, as illustrated in Fig. 3. 9 is another strip of sheet metal resting closely against the wrapped portion of the strip 7, the opposite ends of the strip 9 being securely fastened to the block at opposite sides ofthe groovep by means of tacks, screws, or the like 10. These screws or tacks at one end of the strips 7 and 9 serve to secure both members in place.

It will be seen that the frictional contact between the strip 3 and the strip 7, which is coiled around the strip 3, will prevent the block 5 from moving sidewise along the bottom of the box unless considerable force be applied to the block. It will also be seen that the force requisite to move the block must be applied at the bottom of the block instead of at the top, for the reason that a pressure against the side of the block at its top tends to tilt the block and to form a short bend in the strip 3, thus securely locking the block against movement. Since the pressure of the cards 2 is in the main against the top of the block, it follows that the block will never be displaced by the pressure of the cards or documents resting against it and that the block can only be moved along the bottom of the tray by applying sufficient force to the block at or near its bottom.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a modification of my invention, which consists in wrapping two strips 7 around the strip 3 instead of one and extending the ends of these two strips 7 in opposite directions, the projecting extremities of the strips'being secured in place by the same tacks or screws which secure the retaining-strip 9 in place. The operation of this modiiied form is the same as above described, the resilient clasp of the two coiled strips 7 preventing movement of the block along the strip 3 unless suliicient force be applied to the bottom of the block.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s`

1. In a receptacle of the described charac- IOO IIO

ter7 al flexible metal strip secured at its eX l a flexible metal strip secured at its opposite tremties to the iloor of the receptacle7 a follower, and means for slidably engaging the Y bottom of the follower with said strip.

2. In a receptacle of the described character, a flexible metal strip secured at opposite ends to the floor of the receptacle, a followblock adapted to move lengthwise of the strip7 and a clasp which slidably engages the strip and which is secured to the follow-blocl- 3. In a receptacle of the described character, a flexible metal strip secured at its eX- tremities to the floor of the receptacle, a follow-block, another metal strip wrapped around the strip first mentioned and in slidable engagement therewith7 and means for securing said second-mentioned strip in place upon the bottom of the follow-block- 4. In a receptacle of the described character7 a follow-block arranged transverselyT of and movable longitudinally in the receptacle7 ends to the floor of the receptacle7 a second metal strip which slidably clasps the strip first mentioned one end of said second metal strip being secured to the bottom of the block, and a third metal strip which overlaps the second strip and having both its ends secured to the bottom of the block.

5. In a receptacle of the described character, a follow-block having in its bottom a recess7 a leXi-ble metal strip secured at its eX-A tremities to the floor of the receptacle, and means for slidably engaging the block with the strip, said means being disposed within said recess.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW L. WEIS. Witnesses WALTER A. MEIER, LEO. J A. NAvARRE. 

